Upcoming Conference Looks at Law Student Pro Bono Issues

The TBA Access to Justice Committee will hold its annual Pro Bono & Public Interest Law School Conference Sept. 6-7 at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Law students, faculty, staff and others interested in learning more about how law students can get involved in pro bono work are invited to attend. The conference will feature presentations by TBA President Cindy Wyrick, Access to Justice Commission Chair and former TBA President Buck Lewis and representatives from law schools and legal aid programs from across the state. Participants also will have an opportunity to engage in discussions on policy issues ranging from mandatory pro bono service for law school graduates to public interest career debt management strategies.

In January 2013 more than 30 students and faculty representing law schools across Tennessee gathered at Belmont University College of Law to discuss ways to increase pro bono opportunities for law students. Those who attended campaigned to make the conference an annual event. The 2014 conference will build on the work begun in Nashville last year.